AabiLynn’s Test Of Dragons, Test Of Swords #5 The She-devil And The Little Sword

By Kristie Lynn Higgins

Type: novella about 32,000 words
AabiLynn's Test of Dragons, Test of Swords follows Cara-AabiLynn's adventures after AabiLynn's Dragon Rite series. If you haven't read the Dragon Rite series, you can start it by reading AabiLynn's Dragon Rite #0 Dragon's Brood.

ATOD5: In the fifth story of the series, Cara must face the terrifyingly strong She-devil all alone. Read this dragon and magic story where the bonds of family and friendship are more powerful than sorcery.

AabiLynn's Test of Dragons, Test of Swords fantasy action adventure sword and sorcery novella series
ATOD1: The Birth Of A Dragon Queen And The Birth Of Sorrows
ATOD2: Dragon Hearts And Nightmarish Times
ATOD3: The Mangiatore, One Who Devours Dragon Nests
ATOD4: She-devil Of The Black Blood War
ATOD5: The She-devil And The Little Sword

If you love stories with dragons or stories about dragons like Anne McCaffery’s Dragonriders of Pern, Cressida Cowell’s How To Train Your Dragon, or George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire a.k.a. Game of Thrones, you’ll love this series about a bond of friendship and family like no other. Cara-AabiLynn and her dragon hatchling pair have completed their Dragon Rite and move forward with their training as dark forces march in to destroy all dragons.

A girl is dragon bound and has become a young dragonrider who is not a typical dracowoman. Cara faces adversity alongside those she loves and faces dangers and hardships. This dragon books series is full of action and adventure and fans of fantasy will enjoy this charming story of courage. Epic fantasy action-adventure for all ages. A dragon story where family and friendship can defeat evil.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kristie Lynn
• Release date: Nov 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005798284

Kristie Lynn Higgins

You can also check out my author page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/author/kristielynnhiggins

Book preview

AabiLynn’s Test Of Dragons, Test Of Swords #5

The She-devil And The Little Sword

Kristie Lynn Higgins

©2022

102522

www.KristieLynnHiggins.com

Chapter One

A Rash Decision

Earlier…

At Firedrake…

Cara was sleeping within Black Fire’s so snuggly protective wings, having sweet-sweet dreams of flying with her pair as Black Fire was sleeping within their mother’s protective wing, sharing in the wonderful dream.  Ortus was cuddled up to her, and Wyndfree and HuntMa were also within the Queen’s Chamber sleeping on their beds after everyone had a grand feast.  Bold was also there, but he slept alone in a cold corner, yearning to be by his pair’s side once again in sweet-sweet dreams.  He was cut off from Cara and felt the sting of her rejection, but it was his fault.  Bold had created and nurtured the distance between them, so he could only blame himself.

Cara continued to dream wonderful things, but then her sleep visions showed the future destruction of Firedrake.  She and Black Fire were flying above their nest, but at some point, Cara lost Black Fire, and she was alone.  She took no mind of it at the time, and she raced through her nightmare as she raced toward the Queen’s Chamber, and there Cara found her mother.  The tremendous burnt-orange dragon queen lay among a mound of dead dragons and dracomen.  Cara had experienced this pain before, but it was all the more painful because she had grown to love her adopted mother with great affection.  Cara wailed as she grabbed onto the front talon of her mother.  She screamed, and Cara expected her hatchling to give a great dragon roar of heartache as he had in the nightmare before, but he was not with her.  She hadn’t taken notice of his absence as if someone again was using some sort of magic against her.  Cara had felt alone, but she thought she shared these emotions with her pair.

Cara wept bitterly, seizing her sorrow and agony as despair assaulted her mind and soul, but then she heard Ortus crying.  The little dragon queen wasn’t in the chamber.  Cara raced out of the chamber and arrived at the Large Sand Gate where the stable was burning.  Ortus was sitting alone crying on the other side of the gate when a dark figure appeared in the distance coming through the smoke and fire.  They were coming up behind her sister and this armor-clad figure raised the Latus’Sword high above Ortus to strike a massive death blow.  Cara thought about attacking them before they took another family member away from her, but all she could do was scream at them.  The armor-clad figure paused as Cara screamed again and managed to limp toward her sister but before she reached Ortus, the armor-clad figure stabbed their blade into the ground, ending her sister’s life.  Cara collapsed to her knees as the armor-clad figure spoke.

You, little pika…  You nearly woke from my Dream Walking.

She-devil..? Cara uttered as she lifted her gaze to the one towering over her like some blood-thirsty fiend.

Yes, I am the one from your nightmare.

Nightmare, Cara repeated, and then the images around her disappeared, and it was just the two of them.  I dreamed this horrible dream before.

I know.  It is a vision of your future.

Why are you showing me this vision again? Cara questioned her.

I want you to come out to me, you and your pair, and meet me on the battlefield.  If you do not, I will come to your nest and wipe it out.

I know why Hlysnan and his king want me, but why do you want to kill me? Cara asked.

I have decided, little pika, that you are too dangerous to let you grow up.  Look how strong you already are at your age, and you have not had any real training.

Too dangerous to who or what?  Are you afraid that when I grow up I might be able to defeat someone as powerful as you?

The She-devil peered at her for a long time and then replied, I would not mind facing you when you are at your peak.  I have not had a real challenge in a very long time, but you are a danger to the plan.

Cara asked, What plan is that?

A plan you do not need to know about if I’m going to kill you.

Cara knew her nest was no match for the She-devil.  She doubted that all the Athenia Dragon Nests would be a match for her.

I have some conditions if I am to face you on the battlefield.

The She-devil questioned her, Who are you to dictate conditions and why would I honor any of them?

I am one who, most likely, is coming out to die by your hand and, as to why you will honor my conditions?  You may be evil, but I do not see you as a liar.  If you say you will honor my conditions, you will honor my conditions.

The She-devil spoke, Let me hear your conditions.

If I come out and face you, no matter what the outcome is, you will never attack my nest or any of the Athenia Dragon Nests.

You are asking a lot for your first request, the She-devil stated.

It is the reason I am coming out to my death is to save everyone.  How can I do that if you are just going to kill them anyway?  Maybe I should just run.

I do not ever see you running, but I can see your point.  Done, I will never attack any of the Athenia Dragon Nests.

My next request is that when you kill me, and Black Fire is still alive, you will spare his life.

The She-devil grinned over the plan her brother had for the murky-black hatchling, and then she said, Done.  I will spare Black Fire’s life if he is still alive when I kill you.  Do you have any other conditions?

I do.  If I should defeat you, you will answer all of my questions.

Do you think you can defeat me? the She-devil questioned.

A mountain can fall on you suddenly, Cara replied.  There is always a chance anything could happen, and I somehow win this battle, so if I survive, I want you to answer all of my questions.

Done, now…  Come out alone with your pair and let us begin this final battle.  You will know where to come.  I will guide you to me.

Several hours later…

Black Fire circled overtop of a rocky terrain they had been guided to, and then he landed on the outskirts of many dead trees, and Cara unfettered from him and approached their foe.  The She-devil stood alone and with her arms crossed.  The woman wasn’t wearing the Helmet of Tenebris as Cara thought she would and for an instant, the girl wondered if the She-devil was truly the one Bold had warned her of in the nightmare of the future.

I am here as you requested, Cara said as she looked all around for Drac’On, whom she sensed was nearby.

I see, my little pika, the She-devil spoke.  Are you looking for my brother and his leviathan?  Do not worry.  They will not interfere with our battle.

The She-devil lifted her hand before Cara had a chance to speak, and she whisked the two of them away, leaving Black Fire alone.  Escoute, riding upon Drac’On, slowly approached the murky-black hatchling to kill him.  Black Fire looked all around for his pair, but he sensed that she was very far away.  The hatchling growled at the two while he backed up from them.  He was very angry and very afraid.  He thought he would face their foe with his pair.  Cara had been taken from him, and he would have to face a warlock and his leviathan without the one who had defeated them before.  His mind whirled with flight or fight.  Should he head for his pair?  Black Fire believed he could find her, but he doubted he could outfly the leviathan.  He looked all around.  The She-devil was also gone.  The woman from the VanderBraze Kingdoms had whisked his pair away, so Cara was in as much or even more danger than he was.  Black Fire thought of his mother and his nest.  The only chance he and his pair had was if he could summon help, so he lifted his head and gave a great dragon roar.  The roar was loud and long and then silence followed.

Listen to the murky-black hatchling, Escoute spoke, mocking the one before them.  I do believe he is trembling before my might.

He is a child, Drac’On told him.  And he is to face us alone.  He is afraid for his pair more than he is afraid for himself.

Athenia does have an odd way of treating their beasts, Estoute stated.  They seem to treat them as…  What is the word I’m looking for?

Equals, Drac’On chimed in.

Yes, they do see their riding beasts as equals, Estoute spoke.  Now my unequal beast…  Let us take the head of this most worthy trophy.

Chapter